Battery clamp device



June 11, 1935. A, uvA 2,004,653

BATTERY CLAMP DEVICE Original Filed Sept. 13, 1933 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented June 11, 1935 V BATTERY CLAMP DEVICE Edward A. DuvaLEasthampton, Mass.

Application September 13, .1933, Serial No. 689,224 RenewedNovember 15, 1934 6 Claims. (o1. 172F259) This invention relates to improvements in battery clamp devices-and more particularly to means for clamping a connection to the terminal post of a. storage battery. 7

.Theprincipalobjectsof the invention are di-v rectedto the provision of means to facilitate the clamping ofa connection to the terminal post .of a;storage battery. According'to special features of the invention there is provided a novel clamping. means which is constructed and ar-' ranged to facilitate ease in manipulation and securityin the clamping operation.

. .Acommon connection used in connection with the terminal post of a storage battery consists of asplit' clamp'member havingulugs through which a clamp bolt passes. 'By means of the bolt and its nut the lugs are drawn together so that the clamp member is caused to firmly embrace the post. Considerable 'difliculty is experienced because it is necessary to turn' the nut and the bolt by swinging a wrench in a vertical plane and there is very little, if any, room between the clamp and the top of the battery to permit this.

According to thisinvention, a clamping means is-provided which includes a clamp bolt for passing through clamp lugs which is arranged so that a wrench may be swung at some distance from theclamp and'battery top and therebynot only is it .possibleto easily and. readily manipulate-the device, but the clamp is made secure on the terminal post. i

Various novel features and advantages of the inventionwill be hereinafter more fully referred to'in connection with the accompanying description of the preferred form of the invention which foripurposes ofidisclosure is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of a clamping device embodying the novel features of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the same, and

Fig. 4 is a perspective elevational view of the wedge member of the device.

Referring now to the drawing more in detail the invention will be fully described.

A terminal post of a battery is shown at P which may be of the usual form and which as usual extends or may be considered as extending upwardly from one of the cells of a storage battery. A clamp member 2 has a socket 4 at its rear side to receive the end of a cable 6 and its forward side is slotted at 8, there being a pairv of ears such as H) at either side of the slot 8. The ears are provided with openings to receive a clamp bolt which in the form shown includes v a body portion I2 passing throughthe openings in the lugs and a transverse, angularly disposed tail part M.

Opposite ends ofthe bolt areprovidedwith screw threads, as shown, for receiving nuts I6 and I8. 1 1 i A wedge member 20 is provided'whichfihasa central opening 22 receiving .thetail I 4y of .the.

bolt; and.is arranged to easily slidev on the .tail M. The wedge, is providedwith aslot ZA-at'one side of the central opening and a slot '26 atthe other side, while there: is a stop '25to limit .the lower position of the wedgerelative to the bolt.

The nut I6 is set so that with the nut l8 more ,or lessloose, an inclined 'wedging face 23 of the wedge bears against the outermost side of the right hand lug Ill With this nut loosenedithe lugs 18 are as usual inclined to spread apart so that the clampjmay beslipped on-and off the terminal post P. Y

When it is desired to secure the clamptoithe terminal-post and 'whenit isin place asshown the nut 18 is turned which acts on the .wedge 28 to force it downwardly so-thatits wedging face bears against the outer side of'the right? hand lug. With the nut i6 bearing .onthe outer face of the left-hand lug, the tightening of nut 18 forces-the-wedge downwardly :to draw'the lugs together and in that way the clamp securely binds the terminal post. i ,When it is desired to loosen the clamp, the nut 18 is loosened to releasethe pressure on the wedge 20 and asthe pressure is thus released, the lugs 16 spread apart sorthecclamp releases the post. Whendesired, and inorderltorinsure that the wedge is free of the lug,': the stall 514 of the clamp bolt may be swung counterclockwise 'or swung to the left of the position shown in Fig. 3, whereupon the wedge is entirely free of the lugs or the clamp so that the lugs may freely spread apart.

It will be noted that with the wedge and the tail of the'bolt in the position shown, it is an easy matter to apply a wrench to the nut l8 and swing the same in a horizontal plane asdistinguished from placing a wrench on a nut such as [6 or the head of a bolt and swinging it in a vertical plane. of the clamp with ease.

The overall dimensions of the lugs or the distance from the outer face of one to the outer face of the other varies. The nut I6 provides a means of adjusting the bolt and wedge to vari-.

This facilitates the tightening 7 1y to corrode in the presence of fumes and acid which is common with storage batteries.

Various changes and modifications be made in the form of the inventionwithout departing from the spirit andscope thereof and therefor I desire to be limited if at all by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description.

1. A device for use with they lugs of a clamp having aligned openings therethrough comprising, a bolt having a body portion for extending through the openings in the lugs andja tail extending angularly therefrom, both ends of the bolttbeingthreaded, a nut on the threaded end of the main'body portion of; the bolt for'abutting the outer face of one lug, a wedge member having an opening receiving the tail of the bolt and having an inclined'face for bearing against the outer face of the other lug and a nut on the threaded end of the tail for bearing on saidlug to move the'same along the tail. 1 I

2. A-device for use with the lugs of a? clamp having aligned openings therethrough comprising, a bolt having a main body portion for ex-' tending through the openings in the lugs having a tail portion extending at right angles therefrom and both ends of the bolt being threaded, a nut on the threaded end of themai'n body portion for bearing against the-outer side of one lug, a Wedge slidable axially of the tail having a wedging face for bearingagainst the" outer face of the other lug and a nut in threaded engagement with the end of the tail of the bolt for bearing on the wedge. I V 7 g 3. The combination with the spaced lugs of a battery post clamp having bolt openings therethrough of means fordrawing the lugs together comprising, a bolt having'a main body portion extending through the openings in the clamp lugs and a tail extending angularly therefrom at the outer side of one lug, the ends of saidbody portion and tail being threaded, a nut on the'threaded end of the body portion for hearing on the outer face of one lug, awedge member-slidable on the tail havinga wedging face for bearing on the outer face of the other lug,-and a nut on the threadedend of the tail for'urging said'wedge axially 'of the tail and exerting pressure against said otherlug.

What I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:-

4. The combination with the spaced lugs a battery post clamp having bolt openings therethrough of'means for drawing the lugs together comprising, a bolt having a main body portion extending through the openings in the clamp lugs .on the outer face of the other lug, a nut on the threaded end of the tail for urging said wedge 'axiallyxof the tail and exerting pressure against said other lug, and means associated with said wedge and main body of the bolt to limit the .movement of the former relative to the latter.

15. The combination with the spaced lugs of a battery post clamp having bolt openings there- 'through of'means for drawing the lugs together comprising, a bolt having a main body portion extending through the openings in the, clamp lugs and a tail extending angularly therefrom at the outer side of one lug, the ends ofsaid' body portion andtail being threaded,,a nuton the threadedend of the body portion for bearing on the outer. face of one lug, a wedge member slidableon the tail having a wedgingfacezfor bearing on the outerface of the other lug and a nut on the threaded end of the tailwfor urging said wedge axially. of the;tail and exerting pressure against said other lug, the said wedgebeing slotted at its lower side-to receive the main body portion tion and tail beingthreaded, a nut on the threadp ed .end of the body portion for hearing on the outer face of one lugya wedgeimemberislidable on the tail havinga wedging face'for bearing on the outer face of theother lug, and a nut on the'threaded end of the tail for urging said wedge axiallyzof the tail and exerting pressure against said other lug, the said-wedge-being slidable on thetail by means of an opening receiving said tail A ..-EDWARD A. DUVAL. 

